Visitor Services
Fort William Historical Park offers many modern amenities and conveniences to ensure that every visitor has a truly enjoyable experience.
The Visitor Centre is the first stop during your visit. At the Visitor Centre you can purchase tickets to the Fort William historical site, the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory, and our festivals and events. The Visitor Centre is also where you check in and out of the campground, rent strollers for young children, and borrow a wheelchair.
Fort William Historical Park offers free admission to Indigenous Persons, Military Personnel and Veterans (with a CFOne or VSC ), and Support Persons (with a PAL Card).
Fort William Historical Park makes every effort to accommodate the needs of all of our visitors.
We have free accessible parking available close to the main entrance of the Visitor Centre and David Thompson Astronomical Observatory.
Fully accessible transportation departs regularly from the Visitor Centre to the historical site. The historical site is solely a walking tour and the majority of our historical site buildings are barrier-free. You are welcome to use your own wheelchair or walker while visiting. We also have a number of wheelchairs available for loan, free of charge, for our visitors.
We have accessible washrooms available at the Visitor Centre, the Fort William historical site and the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory.
Fort William Historical Park also accepts the Personal Attendant for Leisure (PAL) Card. The PAL Card is an identification card, which is issued to a person who has a disability. It allows the support person to enter a Thunder Bay recreation facility for free. A support person can be a friend, family member or a paid worker. Please present your PAL card prior to making your ticket purchase.
The Cantine offers a variety of menu items including hearty soups, salads, sandwiches and hot meals. Conveniently located on our historic site, the Cantine Restaurant is open daily mid-May through September from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the Historic Site is required to access the Cantine restaurant.
Should you wish to enjoy your own food or beverages, we have picnic tables available for use in front of the Visitor Centre, as well as an indoor location, the Café Kam, located inside the Visitor Centre.
Drones are prohibited from flying at Fort William Historical Park.
Fort William Historical Park offers two Level 2 electronic vehicle charging stations available for use by our visitors with paid admission.
Please speak to any Fort William Historical Park employee to access first aid. In case of an emergency, please dial 911 or *OPP on your mobile device.
Baby changing stations are available in the public washrooms located in the Visitor Centre, David Thompson Astronomical Observatory, and on the historic site. We also have strollers for young children available to rent while at the park for $5.
For lost and found items, please speak to any Fort William Historical Park employee or contact us.
All purchases and rentals at Fort William Historical Park are subject to Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), Ontario’s current tax rate of 13%.
Fort William Historical Park offers free parking for vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
Pets are welcome at Fort William Historical Park, however, we ask that you adhere to the following when your pet is on Fort William Historical Park property:
- Pets are allowed at the campground and on the historic site but must be kept on a leash.
- Pets are not permitted inside the Cantine Restaurant, Gift Shop, or McGillivray’s Landing.
- Please clean-up immediately after your pet using a disposable bag and place it in an outdoor waste receptacle.
Service animals accompanying persons with disabilities or specific conditions are allowed in all places to which the public is admitted.
The Visitor Centre features the Trading Post Gift Shop. Filled with an array of unique gifts, souvenirs, and heritage items handcrafted by Fort William’s artisans, you are sure to find just the treasure you are looking for to commemorate your visit.
Fort William Historical Park accepts U.S. currency, offering a fair exchange rate on the U.S. dollar.
Fort William Historical Park offers free WiFi to all its visitors. You can acquire the network name and password from Admissions in the Visitor Centre.